What happens when a soft European scraps with a tough North American? When a perennial Lady Byng candidate gets challenged by an enraged star during a blowout?

If the Euro is Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk, he fights back -- and holds his own.

Friday at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena, the Anaheim Ducks were looking to make the home team pay for giving them a licking on the scoreboard. So when the expected brouhaha ensured, Ducks center Corey Perry found his dance partner in Datsyuk.

"The whole bench was cheering," Johan Franzen told the Detroit News after the game. "It was great to see. Pav's a strong guy and he can defend himself."

And that "gentlemanly play" award? The won Datsyuk has won four times? "Too bad for him. He can't win the Lady Byng now," coach Mike Babcock said. Added Henrik Zetterberg: "The Lady Byng is out of reach."

Getting a Gordie Howe hat trick -- a goal, an assist and a fight in one game -- will do that.

Asked to describe the scrap, Datysuk told the News:

"It just happened. It wasn’t a long fight. I’m happy to finish like that. Now you guys are going to ask me after every game why I didn’t fight?”

For the record: Datsyuk has fought before -- on May 12, 2009, in a playoff game against Scott Niedermayer, then with (wait for it) the Ducks.